The Myth of Scorpio: Hades and the Sting of Vengeance

In the vast expanse of the night sky, Scorpio occupies the eighth house of the zodiac with its profound, mysterious, and unpredictable nature. Spanning from October 23 to November 22 each year, this sign symbolizes transformation, rebirth, and the awakening of inner power. Its origin is rooted in two dramatically different yet equally compelling myths from ancient Greece—both revealing the complex and contradictory soul of this enigmatic constellation.

Version One: The Wrath of Gaia and the Scorpion’s Mission

According to legend, Orion was a giant of extraordinary height, renowned for his striking handsomeness and unmatched skill as a hunter. His prowess was such that no beast could escape his arrows. One day, intoxicated at a feast, he boasted that he could hunt down every living creature on Earth. This arrogance reached the ears of the gods—especially Gaia, the primordial goddess of the Earth, who was furious. After all, every animal Orion captured came from the bounty she generously provided.

To punish his hubris, Gaia summoned a venomous scorpion and commanded it to strike him down. The scorpion crept silently toward Orion and plunged its deadly stinger into his body. Though immensely strong, Orion could not withstand the poison born of the Earth itself and collapsed instantly, dead. In gratitude for the scorpion’s faithful service, Gaia lifted it into the heavens, where it became the constellation Scorpio, forever shining in the night sky.

Orion, too, was placed among the stars by Zeus as the constellation Orion. Yet, out of fear of his ancient foe, whenever Scorpio rises in the east, Orion swiftly sinks below the western horizon—ensuring they never meet again, as if the cosmos itself remembers their fated conflict. 🌹

Version Two: Desire, Betrayal, and Divine Jealousy

In another version, Orion’s origins are even more intricate: he was the son of Poseidon, gifted not only in hunting but also in charm. He fell deeply in love with Merope, daughter of King Oenopion of Chios. To win her favor, he captured every wild beast on the island of Lemnos and presented them as a gift. Still, the king refused to grant his daughter’s hand.

One night, drunk and reckless, Orion dishonored Merope. Enraged, the king appealed to Dionysus, god of wine, for vengeance. Dionysus cast Orion into a deep, unending slumber, during which the king gouged out his eyes. Blinded, Orion fled to the eastern shores of Lemnos, where he pleaded with Apollo for help—and miraculously regained his sight.

He later wandered to Crete and became a companion of Artemis (known as Diana in Roman myth), the goddess of the hunt. However, Eos, the goddess of dawn, fell in love with him, provoking Artemis’s fierce jealousy. In a fit of rage, she shot and killed Orion herself, then placed his soul among the stars as the constellation Orion. Meanwhile, the scorpion that once carried out Gaia’s will remains eternally fixed in the sky, silently guarding the threshold between the underworld and the realm of transformation. 🌺

In both tales, Scorpio is intimately tied to themes of death, revenge, loyalty, and profound emotion. It serves as an earthly symbol of Hades—the ruler of the underworld, wealth, and the cycle of souls—and embodies the power to pierce through illusions and confront raw truth. As we approach the astrological landscape of 2026, Scorpio’s energy may once again be activated, guiding individuals to face their shadows and undergo deep inner metamorphosis.